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by David P. Greisman - Upward mobility has brought fighters out of poverty and beyond adversity, taking them to a world where fame is measured by fortune, where seven-digit paydays are the ideal, each additional zero demonstrating how far they have come from when they had nothing.
On their way up they were hungry – for change, for accomplishment, for rising as high as their fists, wits, determination and discipline would take them. But upon arrival the idea of competition applied not just to pugilism, but also to prosperity and its requisite prestige.
Not that they’ve become complacent. They’ll still put in the roadwork and sparring, the crunches and dieting. The readier they are for the next challenge, the richer they’ll become when the next one arrives. As important as winning in the ring has always been, landing the first blow in negotiations is now the same.
Getting the most favorable terms possible on a contract before signing on the dotted line has made the pen as mighty as a left hook to the liver. And it’s not just about money. Sticking points have included the size of gloves, the brand of gloves, the weight class, who walks out to the ring first, the size of the ring itself, where the bout takes place, cuts of domestic and foreign television fees and whether Gatorade could be given to fighters between rounds.
Manny Pacquiao’s proposed showdown with Oscar De La Hoya reportedly got many of the usual sticking points unstuck. But then a sharp difference in the financial breakdown punctured any hopes that the five-division-titlist Filipino Firebomber would take on a Golden Boy who captured belts in six different weight classes. [details]
On their way up they were hungry – for change, for accomplishment, for rising as high as their fists, wits, determination and discipline would take them. But upon arrival the idea of competition applied not just to pugilism, but also to prosperity and its requisite prestige.
Not that they’ve become complacent. They’ll still put in the roadwork and sparring, the crunches and dieting. The readier they are for the next challenge, the richer they’ll become when the next one arrives. As important as winning in the ring has always been, landing the first blow in negotiations is now the same.
Getting the most favorable terms possible on a contract before signing on the dotted line has made the pen as mighty as a left hook to the liver. And it’s not just about money. Sticking points have included the size of gloves, the brand of gloves, the weight class, who walks out to the ring first, the size of the ring itself, where the bout takes place, cuts of domestic and foreign television fees and whether Gatorade could be given to fighters between rounds.
Manny Pacquiao’s proposed showdown with Oscar De La Hoya reportedly got many of the usual sticking points unstuck. But then a sharp difference in the financial breakdown punctured any hopes that the five-division-titlist Filipino Firebomber would take on a Golden Boy who captured belts in six different weight classes. [details]
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